International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (IJTSRD) Volume 5 Issue 1, November-December 2020 Available Online: www.ijtsrd.com e-ISSN: 2456 – 6470 @ IJTSRD | Unique Paper ID – IJTSRD38023 | Volume – 5 | Issue – 1 | November-December 2020 Page 654 ESGP-PA Scholars in the University of Eastern Philippines: Their Academic Performance, Challenges, and Perceived Solutions Leah A. De Asis 1 , Tito M. Cabili 1 , Brenfred N. Romero 2 1 Professor, UEP College of Education, Catarman, Philippines 2 Assistant Professor, UEP College of Arts and Communication, Catarman, Philippines ABSTRACT The ESGP-PA scholars in the University of Eastern Philippines, in spite of the financial grant, have their fair share of challenges at home, in school, and with the scholarship management. This descriptive-qualitative study delved into documenting the scholars’ academic performance, discovering a myriad of their challenges, unlocking in them their perceived solutions, and mapped-out recommendations designed to help the ESGP-PA Scholarship Management for the academic advancement of the scholars. Results revealed that the scholars are fairly performing their academics but are affronted of school-related challenges ranging from hectic class schedule and time limitations in requirement submissions to pressures in maintaining their grades given their non-regular school attendance. For school management-related, they get to experience delays of the financial grant, and long queues for scholarship renewal and other submissions. At home, they are torn between their school and family priorities. This is aside from experiences of low familial support to their education and financial obligation, where the bulk of their allowance goes to aid their family needs and as capital build-up for the livelihood ventures of their parents. In the light of these circumstances, the scholars thought of perceived solutions, which to them are the be-all answers. KEYWORDS: Academic performance, ESGP-PA scholars, challenges, coping mechanisms How to cite this paper: Leah A. De Asis | Tito M. Cabili | Brenfred N. Romero "ESGP-PA Scholars in the University of Eastern Philippines: Their Academic Performance, Challenges, and Perceived Solutions" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456- 6470, Volume-5 | Issue-1, December 2020, pp.654-658, URL: www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd38023.pdf Copyright © 2020 by author(s) and International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development Journal. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0) (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0) 1. INTRODUCTION The Expanded Students Grants-in-Aid Program for Poverty Alleviation (ESGPPA) is the exact answer of the Philippine government in consonance with the provision “to protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels and shall take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all” (Article XIV, Section 1 of the Philippine Constitution and Article XIV), and to establish and maintain a system of scholarship, grants, student loan programs, subsidies, and other incentives which shall be available to deserving students in both public and private schools, especially to the underprivileged (Section 2 (3)). As a financial assistance program, ESGP-PA considers the poor but deserving students, more especially from families who are direct beneficiaries of the PantawidPamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), a poverty reduction strategy that provides grants to extremely poor households to improve their health, nutrition, and education by providing incentives for poor families to invest in their future by ensuring that mothers and children can avail of the free healthcare as well as the free education for children. These students, however, should be enrolled in the priority programs of the Commission on Higher Education and other course offerings aligned with government key growth areas (CMO No. 1, s. 2014) Scholars as they are, they are no excuse of challenges that affront them as college students. These scholars are one the pride of a university. It is really true that problem ―seeking‖ and problem ―solving‖ is what most of students’ life is all about (Klafki, 1977). At present, the University of Eastern Philippines (UEP) accommodates 380 ESGP-PA scholars who are required to maintain academic requirements in line with the guidelines set by the primary agency in the implementation of the program. Of these stat, 38% are enrolled in the College of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Natural Resources; 25% at the College of Science; 10% at the College of Engineering; nine (9) percent at the College of Education; five (5) percent at the College of Arts and Communication and the College of Veterinary Medicine; four (4) percent at the College of Business Administration; and one (1) percent at the College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences. However, as of this writing, no study was yet conducted that assesses the academic performance, challenges, and coping mechanisms of these scholars. Further, problems were forwarded by these students in ordinary encounter by the researchers with these recipients and the University Guidance Counselor on the problems met which are of varying forms and degrees. This therefore urges the conduct of this study. IJTSRD38023